Diving and Snorkeling

You can see hundreds of varieties of fish and some 40 species of coral at more than a dozen sites off Grenada's southwestern coast—only 15 to 20 minutes away by boat—and another couple of dozen sites around Carriacou's reefs and neighboring islets. Depths vary from 20 to 120 feet, and visibility varies from 30 to 100 feet.

Off Grenada

For a spectacular dive, visit the ruins of Bianca C, a 600-foot cruise ship that caught fire in 1961, sank to 100 feet, and is now a coral-encrusted habitat for giant turtles, spotted eagle rays, barracuda, and jacks. Boss Reef extends 5 miles (8 km) from St. George's Harbour to Point Salines, with a depth ranging from 20 to 90 feet. Flamingo Bay has a wall that drops to 90 feet. It teems with fish, sponges, sea horses, sea fans, and coral. Molinère Reef slopes from about 20 feet below the surface to a wall that drops to 65 feet. Molinère is also the location of the Underwater Sculpture Park, a rather odd artificial reef consisting of more than 55 life-size figures that were sculpted by artist and scuba instructor Jason Taylor and placed on the sea bottom. An underwater bench gives divers a good view of the art gallery. Its most recent addition is a replica of Christ of the Deep, the statue that's on the promenade along the Carenage in St. George’s. Molinère is a good dive for beginners; advanced divers can continue farther out to view the wreck of the Buccaneer, a 42-foot sloop.

Off Carriacou

There's an active underwater volcano known as Kick-em Jenny, with plentiful coral and marine life in the vicinity and, usually, visibility up to 100 feet, though you can't dive down the 500 feet required to reach the actual volcano. Sandy Island, in Hillsborough Bay, is especially good for night diving and has fish that feed off its extensive reefs 70 feet below. For experienced divers, Twin Sisters of Isle de Rhonde is one of the most spectacular dives in the Grenadines, with walls and drop-offs of up to 185 feet and an underwater cave.

PADI-certified dive operators offer scuba and snorkeling trips to reefs and wrecks, including night dives and special excursions to the Bianca C. They also offer resort courses for beginning divers and certification instruction for more experienced divers. It costs about $55 to $70 for a one-tank dive, $100 to $120 for a two-tank dive, $75 for trips to the Bianca C, $160 to dive Isle de Rhonde, and $70 to $85 for night dives. Discounted five- and 10-dive packages are usually offered. Resort courses cost about $110 to $135, and open-water certification runs $400 to $550.

Most dive operators will take snorkelers along on dive trips or offer special snorkeling adventures. The best snorkeling in Grenada is at Molinère Point, north of St. George's; in Carriacou, magnificent Sandy Island is just a few hundred yards offshore. Snorkeling trips cost about $25 to accompany a dive trip, or $55 to $80 per person for a full snorkeling excursion to the Underwater Sculpture Park.

Grenada Dive Operators

Aquanauts Grenada. Every morning Aquanauts Grenada heads out on two-tank dive trips, each accommodating no more than eight divers, to both the Caribbean and Atlantic sides of Grenada. Also available: guided snorkel trips; beach snorkeling; and special activities, courses, and equipment for children. True Blue Bay Resort, True Blue, St. George. 473/444–1126; 850/303–0330; www.aquanautsgrenada.com.

Dive Grenada. Specializing in wreck diving, particularly the Bianca C, and in family snorkeling trips, Dive Grenada heads out twice daily (at 10 am and 2 pm) to local dive sites. Flamboyant Hotel, Morne Rouge Rd., Morne Rouge, St. George. 473/444–1092; www.divegrenada.com.

EcoDive. This full-service PADI dive shop offers two trips daily for both drift and wreck dives, as well as weekly trips to dive Isle de Rhonde and a full range of diving courses. EcoDive employs two full-time marine biologists who run Grenada's marine-conservation and education center and conduct coral-reef monitoring and restoration efforts. Coyaba Beach Resort, Grand Anse Beach, Grand Anse, St. George. 473/444–7777; www.ecodiveandtrek.com.

ScubaTech Grenada. With three full-time diving instructors, ScubaTech Grenada offers the complete range of PADI and TDI programs—from "discover scuba," which allows novices to learn the basics and dive for the length of their vacation, to "dive master," the highest level a diver can achieve. Dive trips to local sites leave each morning. Calabash Hotel, Prickly Bay Beach, L'Anse aux Épines, St. George. 473/439–4346; www.scubatech-grenada.com.

Carriacou Dive Operators

Arawak Divers. This company has its own jetty at Tyrell Bay. Arawak takes small groups on daily dive trips and night dives, offers a full range of courses, and provides pickup service from yachts. Tyrell Bay, Carriacou. 473/443–6906; www.arawakdivers.com.

Deefer Diving Carriacou. Deefer Diving has two PADI dive masters and two PADI instructors that provide a full range of diving instruction on their 30-foot, purpose-built catamaran, which accommodates up to 11 divers. The itinerary is flexible, so you can dive when, where, and for as long as you like. There are two guided single-tank dives daily, as well as individually scheduled excursions. Main St., Hillsborough, Carriacou. 473/443–7882; www.deeferdiving.com.

Lumbadive. The folks who operate Lumbadive share their enthusiasm for safe, exciting scuba-diving adventures with both new and experienced divers. Lumbadive, located adjacent to Lazy Turtle Restaurant at the southern end of Tyrell Bay, offers open-water diving courses that range from "discover" to "dive master." On the beachfront, Tyrell Bay, Carriacou. 473/443–8566; www.lumbadive.com.